Since legendary Head Coach John Thompson retired, Georgetown basketball has been on a nosedive. Last season was the program's first time being over .500 since the 2018-19 season. The Hoyas have made the tournament just once since Thompson's departure in 2017. A once storied program has fallen on hard times. Following a disastrous first season from Ed Cooley, he bounced back to go 18-16. Heading into 2025, the Hoyas are ready to break out.
From: Georgetown Athletics
This year's Big East race is a heavyweight bout between St. John's and UConn. Once you move past them, the conference is wide open. Marquette, Creighton, and Xavier are all likely to take a step back. Villanova is starting fresh with a new Head Coach, and the rest are middling teams with little shot at making a trip to the dance. That leaves Georgetown in prime position to bring itself back into the limelight.
Hoya Saxa
Georgetown's roster is reliant on its backcourt. The guard position hosts four transfers, and only one suited up for the Bulldogs in 2024. Malik Mack from Harvard is the lone returner of prominence in the backcourt. Mack averaged just under 13 PPG on subpar efficiencies. Year two in a power conference should lend itself to a step forward for Mack. KJ Lewis was a key role player at Arizona in his two years with the Wildcats. While not a premier scoring option, Lewis is a disruptive defender and can serve as a connective piece for the other four on the court. After a disappointing Junior campaign at Baylor, Langston Love committed to play for Ed Cooley. The All-Big 12 Honorable Mention is an efficient scorer who can provide spacing for the offense.
Mack, Lewis, and Love will be tasked with producing a majority of the offense. However, Georgetown looks to be a defense-led team. Maryland transfer Deshawn Harris-Smith is a defense-first guard who was the Terps' primary defender last season. Caleb Williams was deployed as a defensive piece off the bench last year and should continue an upward trajectory. Jeremiah Williams has shown glimpses of offensive prowess, but is primarily a solid perimeter defender. Down low, they have tons of size, with two seven-footers in Vince Iwuchuwku (St. John's) and Isaiah Abraham (UConn).
A Bulldog Breakout
In the preseason, Georgetown faced off against George Washington in an exhibition, where they won. They then went to the GLOBL JAM tournament, where collegiate teams play international basketball teams. They advanced to the Gold Medal game, where they fell short to Brazil. The Hoyas finished off preseason play by defeating Kentucky at Rupp Arena in an exhibition.
As previously stated, three through seven in the Big East is wide open. Most programs lost a bunch of talent, and I am intrigued by the roster Georgetown has on paper. The Hoyas have early tests with matchups against Maryland, Clemson, and North Carolina. After a solid non-conference schedule, I believe Ed Cooley will have his team ready to leap in the Big East. The Georgetown Bulldogs are primed to bring D.C.'s team back to national prominence in 2025.
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